


Secret Admirer

by I_Write_Big, projectml



Series: Project: Valentine's Day 2018 [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Awkwardness, Identity Reveal, M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 09:58:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15192329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Write_Big/pseuds/I_Write_Big, https://archiveofourown.org/users/projectml/pseuds/projectml
Summary: A week before Valentine's Day, Nino receives a gift with no signature on the card. This starts a long week of trying to figure out just who's giving him the gifts, and how Nino feels about said giver.





	Secret Admirer

**Author's Note:**

> This work is part of Project: Miraculous Ladybug's Project: Valentine's Day, 2018.
> 
> Author  
> Megatraven - http://megatraven.tumblr.com/
> 
> Beta  
> I_Write_Big - https://pateatsaburger.tumblr.com/

**_Wednesday - 7 Days Until Valentine’s Day_ **

The moment Nino stepped into the room, all eyes turned towards him. That was almost enough to distract him from the giant bouquet of flowers sitting right at his seat. Almost.

He didn’t say a word as he sat his bag down and took his seat, still in shock over the gift on his desk. Slowly, he reached out a hand, and, with great care, ran his fingers across the petals and down their stems.

“Someone’s got a secret admirer,” Alya said from behind him, grinning wildly.

Nino snorted and glanced back at her. “Shut up, Cesaire.”

“Not until Tuesday, my friend.”

Rolling his eyes, he turned back around, and noticed Adrien staring.

“You alright, dude? You don’t know who put this here, do you?” Nino reasoned that it was worth asking; Adrien was almost always the first one to class nowadays.

“Sorry, Nino, they were here when I arrived. There’s a card though,” Adrien said, pointing to a hint of white hidden within the plant. “Maybe that’ll clue you in?”

“Yeah, maybe,” he replied, doubtful. These kinds of things were never that simple, and it was completely out of nowhere. Still, he took the card and read it.

_ Your eyes are liquid courage, _

_ And your heart is solid gold, _

_ Please be my date next Wednesday, _

_ Even if you catch a cold. _

_ With love, _

And that was all. Nino read it again, once, twice, but it didn’t change the outcome.

“So who’s it from?” Marinette asked, leaning over her desk to get a glimpse. Nino quickly shut the card and put it back among the flowers.

“I dunno, it didn’t say.”

“It didn’t?” Adrien looked at the flowers strangely, but Nino just shrugged.

“Nope. Unfortunate, too, because it’s really sweet.” He smiled, then, and his cheeks warmed just a bit. “I’ve never gotten flowers before, you know.”

“Oh, now that’s a crime,” Alya laughed.

“Truly,” Marinette agreed, looking very serious for all of two seconds before she fell into Alya with laughter bubbling from her lips.

“You guys are jerks,” Nino told them with a chuckle as he moved the bouquet beneath his desk, just in time for their teacher to come in and start class.

Needless to say, he had to copy Adrien’s notes later that day.

* * *

 

**_Sunday - 3 Days Until Valentine’s Day_ **

Nino had made sure to get to class earlier as the rest of the school week had passed. He’d even gotten to class earlier than Adrien on Friday, but still not early enough to see whoever was leaving him gifts.

On Thursday, he’d gotten a box of chocolates, specifically caramel filled ones, which were his favorites. There’d been a card with those as well, this time with the signature of an A with the rest of the name crossed out.

On Friday, a single red rose sat atop a nicely made red scarf, with a poem sewn into the seams. There was no signature again, like the first time, but it still made Nino’s heart beat wildly in his chest.

Then came a surprise on Saturday, when Nino was sure he’d get nothing. A knock on his balcony door at 3 AM scared him out of bed, and when he finally picked himself up, he’d launched himself to the baseball bat he kept by his doorframe. When he didn't hear anything else, he cautiously peeked out from behind his desk. With great caution, he made his way to the glass doors, bat dropping to his side when all he pushed the curtain away saw was a camera resting against the railing of his balcony. A small envelope was taped over the lens, with a heart stamped across it.

Wrapping himself in a blanket and propping the bat up against his wall, he had stepped out to grab the camera, and looked around. He saw a flash of green in the distance, too far and too dark to make anything out, and then nothing. He stared after it for a minute more before deciding it must’ve been his imagination. Going back inside, he sat on the edge of the bed and turned the camera around in his hands.

“Hm... Weird,” Nino whispered. He liked the camera, of course he did, but he hadn’t been very public about needing a new one. That being said, it was far too early for him to be suspicious over it, so he set it down and took the letter.

_ Nino, _

_ Have you ever felt so nervous that it feels like the world itself is shaking? That’s how I feel, like, all the time now. My stomach is filled with butterflies constantly, and the only way I can get rid of them for even a minute is by writing for you. _

_ Did you know that you inspired me to be myself? I struggled a lot with that before I met you, but now it's normal and everything is so much better because of it. Because of you. I won’t lie and say that it isn’t a factor in why I fell for you. _

_ I’d also like to thank you for always being so kind, to everyone. You’re always so bright and positive and it’s made such a difference. So thanks. _

_ I hope you’ll like the camera I got you- use it to make more amazing films, like you did when Horrificator happened. You’ll do amazing, I know it. _

_ Love, _

_ A _

Nino reread the short letter, tracing the loopy scrawl with his fingers. Something about the handwriting niggled in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t figure out why. With a sigh, he set the letter and camera on his nightstand, and laid back down.

God, he wanted to know who it was. It felt like he should know, like the answer was standing right in front of him and his glasses were just too fogged up to see. He rolled over on his side and groaned.

He hadn’t slept much at all after that.

And then, Sunday rolled around. There was nothing waiting for him on his balcony, nothing on his front porch, no letters in the mailbox. It gave Nino plenty of time to think things over.

Settling down at his desk, he whipped out his phone and began texting Adrien.

**_[To: Tracer Main]_ **

**_[From: musicc man]_ **

_ Adrieeeen _

_ help me figure this out dude _

**_[To: musicc man]_ **

**_[From: Tracer Main]_ **

_ secret admirer? valentines day? _

**_[To: Tracer Main]_ **

**_[From: musicc man]_ **

_ ya man _

_ it’s killing me not knowing who it is _

_ like? i have to know them, right? This isn’t some random person I’ve never met, this is someone that knows me _

_ It’s on the tip of my tongue but I just _

_ can’t _

_ figure _

_ it _

_ Out _

**_[To: musicc man]_ **

**_[From: Tracer Main]_ **

_ wont you just find out on wednesday anyways? _

_ like, no use stressin over it right? _

**_[To: Tracer Main]_ **

**_[From: musicc man]_ **

_ I mean, I guess _

_ but’s it’s seriously going to bother me if i have to wait that long _

**_[To: musicc man]_ **

**_[From: Tracer Main]_ **

_.... _

_ it’s three days lol _

**_[To: Tracer Main]_ **

**_[From: musicc man]_ **

_ l i s t e n _

_ I know that but it Doesn’t matter, Im going to Die from curiosity _

**_[To: musicc man]_ **

**_[From: Tracer Main]_ **

_ maybe u should examine the clues my friend _

_ im sure u’ve picked up some investigative skills from alya by this point _

**_[To: Tracer Main]_ **

**_[From: musicc man]_ **

_ ugh _

_ fine yeah youre right i guess _

_ see you tomorrow my dude, thanks for the advice _

**_[To: musicc man]_ **

**_[From: Tracer Main]_ **

_ no problem my man _

_ and hey just think- the person giving you this stuff is probably in knots over it so at least u dont have to suffer alone _

Not replying back, Nino tossed his phone over to his bed and sighed, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair. He’d already been over all the notes and all the gifts a thousand times.

The biggest hint so far was the camera. He recalled pretty clearly when he’d been complaining to Adrien and Alya about it. The classroom had been pretty empty, the door was open because class hadn’t started yet. But with how early all the gifts got to the classroom, Nino wouldn’t be that surprised if the mysterious someone had heard his complaints from the hall.

The writing on the first note was the only one different than the other three, and that was because it had been typed up on a computer. The rest were written by hand, and all were clearly by the same person.

It didn’t help much, but it was something.

Deciding he should do something productive rather than think himself into circles, Nino pushed all thoughts of his admirer to the back of his mind and started up his computer to work on homework.

He’d gotten through half of his maths work before he heard a knock on the door downstairs. Doubting that it concerned him at all, he got through another problem before he heard a tap on his bedroom door.

“Yeah?” he called out, his pencil hovering just above his papers.

“Package for you,” his mother’s muffled voice said. He barely heard her set it down and walk away.

“No way,” he said, and practically threw his chair back as he launched himself out of it. He swung the door open and stared at the package on the ground. Taking it up, he closed his door with a little too much force and grabbed his keys to cut the tape of the box.

It was quick and easy, and when the box opened up, Nino saw something that changed  _ everything  _ about what Nino knew of the situation.

New headphones.

The exact pair he wanted and couldn’t afford.

The pair he’d tried saving up for, but gave up on when he’d heard Adrien’s dad would let them throw a party for his birthday, if they paid for the party themselves. He'd been disappointed, for sure, but it'd been so worth it to see Adrien have the time of his life. 

The pair he’d griped about to Adrien in private, on the phone, and over discord, so many times that even Adrien had started seeing them in his dreams.

The pair nobody else, not even his parents, knew he wanted.

And Adrien started with an A. Adrien suspected the mystery person was nervous. Adrien had looked odd when Nino said the flowers weren’t signed. Adrien was there for the camera talk, knew Nino’s favorite flowers, knew he was a giant sap for cheesy poetry. He also had very similar handwriting to that of the poems and letter, it wasn’t a big jump to think Adrien adjusted his style just enough to look like it was someone else’s.

“Unbelievable.” Nino ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe I didn’t suspect the actual biggest dork I know.”

He looked over at his phone and considered confronting Adrien about it. He thought better of it, though; there was obviously so much planning going into the gifts, and despite all the evidence, there was the tiniest possible chance it wasn’t actually Adrien.

With that in mind, Nino opened the headphones up to try out and resumed his maths, choosing to wait for Valentine’s day to confirm his suspicions.

* * *

 

**_Tuesday - 1 Day Until Valentine’s Day_ **

Instead of a bundle of anticipation and frustration like he had been, Nino was now a bundle of excitement.

On Monday, he’d gotten a pair of sneakers with a note in each shoe. And just that morning, at his desk again, he found a CD and an old-but-good-condition CD player. There was no list of songs on the disk’s case, and Nino wouldn’t get a chance to play it until lunch. Nonetheless, he popped it out of the case and opened up the player, removing a note before settling the CD inside and closing it.

The note was short and sweet, no poem attached.

_ Nino, _

_ If you’d be my valentine, meet me at the fountain during lunch tomorrow? I’ll be waiting there the whole period. _

_ Love, _

_ A _

Smiling, Nino tucked the note away beneath his hat, and smugly denied any details to his friends.

“C’mon, Lahiffe, I’d tell you all the deets if I had a secret admirer,” Alya said, trying to steal the note from the backside of his hat.

“That is the biggest lie you’ve ever told,” Nino laughed, clamping a hand down over where she was trying to lift up.

“I gotta agree with Nino on this one, Als,” Marinette snickered.

“I can’t believe it. My own girlfriend. Look at what you did to her, you monster.” She leaned into Marinette with all of her weight and dramatically covered her eyes. “I can’t even look at you.”

“You could if you took your hand away,” Adrien commented with a grin.

Alya slowly dropped her hand and gasped when she did so. “Wow, look at that! You were right!”

“I’m always right,” he replied matter-of-factly, sitting up straight and puffing out his chest.

Nino, Marinette, and Alya all laughed at that one.

“What?”

“Dude, you thought Chloe was Ladybug one day,” Nino said, shaking his head.

“So did Alya!”

“Yeah, but I did it in style,” she told him, sticking her tongue out when he did it to her.

“Anyways,” Marinette started, turning back to Nino. “Are you gonna meet Mystery Person tomorrow?”

“I dunno, am I?”

They all groaned at him, but couldn’t argue further as the bell rang, signalling the start of class. Nino couldn’t keep the grin off his face, even when he was yelled at for not paying attention to the lesson.

Tomorrow was going to be great.

* * *

 

**_Wednesday - 0 Days Until Valentine’s Day_ **

When the lunch period rolled around, Nino didn’t head to the fountain right away. Not because he didn’t want to- he totally did!

But one of their teachers had called for Adrien just as the period began, and Nino saw the panicked look in Adrien’s face.

Clapping a hand on his back, he said, “I’ll see you later, Adrien. I’m gonna grab a bite and then, uh, go somewhere.”

The answering relieved smile Adrien shot him said that he’d done the right thing. They went their separate ways, and Nino walked over to the Dupain-Cheng’s bakery.

“Good afternoon, Nino! What can we get you today?” Sabine called from behind the counter. She handed a customer their change.

“Can I get...” He thought for a moment. “How about two pain au chocolats and a box of peach macarons?”

“Of course, dear. Eating with anybody today?” she asked, moving quickly to get his order together, aware of more customers coming in.

“Yeah, Adrien and I are supposed to get together soon,” he answered, setting the exact amount of euros on the counter.

“Oh, that’s nice. I hope you both have a nice lunch, then. I packed a little something extra,” she said with a wink, and turned her attention to the next person in line.

Nino walked to the door, and checked what else she’d given him, snorting when he saw a heart-shaped danish. Tucking it and the other items away in his bag, he checked the time on the phone and headed to the park.

To his surprise, when he got there, Adrien wasn’t wearing his normal outfit that he’d been in earlier. No, now he was in a finely made suit, one that Adrien picked at nervously as he sat at the fountain.

“Adrien!” Nino called out, waving at him whilst making his way over.

“Nino, I- fancy seeing you here?”

“The only fancy thing about this is that you’re in a suit. Man, I wish you’d have told me, I would’ve wore my own.”

“You would’ve?” Adrien asked, his fingers that messed with the cuff of his suit pausing.

“Yeah, dude, totally! We’d have made a killer couple. I mean, we still will, but you know.” Nino wrapped an arm around Adrien’s shoulders and pulled him close, patting his chest. “Don’t be so nervous, man.”

“So... you don’t mind that it was me?” He was hesitant in asking that one, but he did relax at Nino’s casual touch.

“Of course not. I’ve only had the biggest crush on you since, like, the first day we met.”

“Yeah?” Ah, there it was- the thing Nino had been waiting to hear. Hope.

“Yeah.”

Adrien let loose a shaky laugh and ran both hands through his hair. “I can’t believe I was so nervous over this.”

“I can. I mean, I was on the receiving end of this stuff and I was being driven up a wall. It was  _ killing _ me not knowing.” Nino shifted so he could grab the food from his bag.

“You seemed alright yesterday and Monday, though. Did you figure me out or something?” Adrien gladly took the pain au chocolat Nino handed to him and took a large bite.

“Um.” Instead of answering, Nino looked away and shoved an entire macaron in his mouth.

Adrien playfully shoved him. “You did! I can’t believe you, you let me suffer alone for two and a half days!”

Unable to keep a straight face, Nino broke into laughter, a few crumbs spraying from his mouth. He took the time to swallow the macaron before responding.

“It’s not my fault! You got me those sick headphones, and you were, like, the only person I talked to about them.”

“Oh my god. Done in by headphones. What a world.” He sighed and took a macaron for himself. “Did they work okay by the way?”

“They worked like a dream,” Nino said with a smile. “I have to say, they seem to work the best when I listen to that CD you made for me. You really are a musical genius, my friend.”

“Yeah, right.” Adrien rolled his eyes. “That’s why I just play recordings of a piano instead of practicing, huh?”

“Hey, I said you’re a genius, and that sounds like a pretty genius move to me. Up top.” He raised his hand up for a high five.

“You really shouldn’t encourage my bad habits,” he said, slapping his hand to Nino’s anyways.

“Whatever, it’s fine. So, uh, when I went to the bakery earlier, Sabine also gave me this...” He pulled out the boxed danish and handed it to Adrien.

“One sec.” Shoving the rest of the macaron in his mouth, he wiped his hands clean before opening the box. He nearly choked on the macaron when he did. “Did you tell her-?”

“Nope, just said I was gonna meet you for lunch. Do you think we’re more oblivious of each other’s feelings than Alya and Marinette were?” Nino wondered aloud.

“At this point, that seems pretty likely,” Adrien said, closing the box back up. “Can we save this for later? I don’t want my hands to be all sticky before I give you the last gift.”

“You mean you’re not my last present? I’m sorry to say that nothing will ever be better than having Adrien Agreste as my valentine, so...”

“Nino, please.” Adrien’s cheeks grew pink, and Nino thought it was an exceptionally cute look for him. He took out took out a small, decorated box and handed it over.

“Woah, this looks... different.” Nino handled the ornamental box carefully, feeling hesitant to open it, for some reason. Adrien grabbed his wrist before he could open it, and he looked up at him.

“Before you open it... the verbal part. I would’ve given this to you even if you hadn’t come, and even if I hadn’t started doing any of this. You’re my best friend and I trust you more than anyone.” A pause. “I’m Chat Noir. And I want you to help Ladybug and me.” He let go of Nino’s wrist and nodded to the box.

“You’re- you’re Chat Noir?” Nino was shocked, to say the least. He couldn’t focus on the box just yet.

“Yep, I am. Surprise! Your valentine is actually one of Paris’ best superheroes!” Adrien did an awkward little show of jazz hands.

“I’m... Dude, that explains  _ so _ much, oh my God. The gift on the balcony? I should’ve figured something out then,” he groaned, letting his forehead thump against the box.

Adrien pat Nino’s arm sympathetically. “It’s not your fault; there’s a glamour that comes with each miraculous. Speaking of... you should open that.”

Nino lifted his head and looked down at the object in his hands. With a quick glance at Adrien, who gave him an encouraging smile, he opened it and was blinded by a flash of green.

When it dissipated, a floating, turtle-like creature was staring at him. “Hello, Nino. I’m Wayzz,” it said.

“This is the weirdest Valentine’s Day gift ever,” Nino murmured out of awe. “That being said...” 

Nino turned towards Adrien and gave him his own gift- a kiss on the lips followed by placing his hat on Adrien’s head.


End file.
